Pilot Couldn't/Didn't Get Out in Time

The Sunday morning crash of an Aero Vochody L-39 Albatros jet trainer has investigators puzzled.

Witnesses say the plane seemed to be spooling up some power when it went down in the Forest Hill neighborhood near Baltimore (MD), killing the pilot, who is believed to have been owner Robert Martin, a building contractor.

One radio report gave an inexplicable explanation: "Steve Demko, of the National Transportation Safety Board, says the wing flaps may have stalled, causing the Aero L-39 Albatros to nose-dive to the ground, killing the pilot." Where the flap goes, so too goes the wing.

[Keith Holloway, the NTSB's duty officer on Sunday, said that didn't seem right. He thought perhaps Demko  had been quoted out of context, or simply misquoted.  "I definitely would not go with that," he told ANN --ed.]

**   Report created 8/26/2003   Record 1  **
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 298RD        Make/Model: L39      Description: L-39/139 Albatross
  Date: 08/24/2003     Time: 1520
  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
  City: BALTIMORE   State: MD   Country: US
DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTING TO DEPART ON RUNWAY 15/23 CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES 15 MILES NORTH OF MARTIN STATE AIRPORT, ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, BALTIMORE, MD
INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:  1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
WEATHER: KMTN 2410445Z 29004KT 10SM FEW200 15/12 A3012
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Take-off      Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: MARTIN STATE                Dep Date:    Dep. Time:
  Destination: UNK                      Flt Plan: UNK          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: UNK
  Last Clearance: UNK
  FAA FSDO: BALTIMORE, MD  (EA07)                 Entry date: 08/25/2003 #